what parents should know about adolescent development · 2014-12-09 · what do we know about peer...
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What Parents Should Know about Adolescent Development:
The Influence of Schools on Adolescent Behavior and Risk-Taking
Stephanie M. JonesHarvard Graduate School of Education
June 29, 2011
Outline Developmental Tasks of Adolescence
Skills and Liabilities of Adolescents/Adolescence
Influence of Schools on Adolescent Behavior and Risk-Taking
Why?
School as a system that is analogous to family system
Adolescent sits at the intersection of family and school as two primary contexts for development
Summary and Implications for Parenting
…all in 10 minutes.
Key Developmental Tasks of Adolescence
From Brown (The Science of Adolescent Risk-Taking, Workshop Report, Institute of Medicine
and National Research Council, 2009)
To Stand Out (develop an identity, pursue autonomy)
To Fit In (find comfortable affiliations and gain acceptance from peers)
To Measure Up (develop competence and ways to achieve)
To Take Hold (make commitments to particular goals, activities, and beliefs).
From Cicchetti & Rogosh (A developmental psychopathology perspective on
adolescence, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2003)
Successful Transition to Secondary Schooling (gaining skills necessary for higher education and/or work)
Skills & Liabilities at Onset of AdolescenceIndividually,
Increased romantic motivation and interest, Increased interest in and susceptibility to peers
(media), Increased emotional reactivity and intensity, Steadily increasing cognitive and behavioral self
control, Changes in circadian rhythms, increased need for
sleep, Increased appetite during periods of rapid
growth, Increased risk of depression, and Increased risk-taking and sensation-seeking.
Skills & Liabilities at Onset of Adolescence
Ecologically, Decreasing adult supervision (by family/in home,
in school) Increasing requirements of settings for self
monitoring, planning, negotiating, regulating… Some shifts are stark and include little prep (e.g.,
elementary to middle school)
The Balance (imbalance) between Stress and Regulation in Adolescence
From: Dahl, 2009, The Science of Adolescent Risk-Taking, Workshop Report, Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, 2009
The Influence of Schools on Adolescent Behavior and Risk-Taking
Schools are a primary context for development School Characteristics
Broad Structural Characteristics
Micro-Contexts (places) and Micro-Systems (networks) Composition
Norms for Behavior and Discipline
Schooling Processes
Quality of Relationships (with teachers, among peers)and supervision
Connectedness and Bonding
Climate
Violence & Safety
SchoolsContextual & Compositional Features
Classrooms Hallways Cafeteria Bathrooms
Micro-Contexts
Micro-Systems
Peer Networks
Teachers/Adults
Composition, Norms
Quality of Relationships& Supervision
Connectedness & Bonding
Climate
Child & YouthOutcomes
Fallacy is that these entities are (appear) FIXED.
In reality they change across time: across years, within a year, within a day (esp., for middle and high school students).
Violence & Safety
A Conceptual Model of Schools and Adolescent Behavior
Micro-Contexts & Micro-Systems Variation across place within schools in student
experience Variation across place within schools in
supervision…and responsibility What contributes?
Composition of individuals Context/System norms for behavior and discipline
BOTTOM LINE: Hallways, bathrooms, playgrounds, parking lots,
stairwells, cafeterias = unsafe “Unclaimed” spaces & non-classroom contexts have
no or low (quantity/quality supervision) Particularly true for middle schools
= places where people do
not get along well
= places where people
get along well
first floor second floor
third floor
(child’s main classroom is circled)
Variation Across Micro-Contexts
= places where people do
not get along well
= places where people
get along well
third floor(child’s main classroom is circled)
first floor second floor
Variation Across Micro-Contexts
Percentage of students who identified each micro-context (on a map of their school) as having positive and/or negative social interactions
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Stu
dent
's O
wn
Cla
ssro
om
Oth
er C
lass
room
s
Lunc
hroo
m
Sch
oolyar
dGym
Aud
itoriu
m
Sta
irwel
ls
Hallw
ays
Boy
s Bat
hroo
m
Girl
s Bat
hroo
m
% S
tud
en
ts R
ep
ort
ing
Positive Social Interactions Negative Social Interactions
What do we know aboutpeer influences?
Two important paths: Selection: select peers similar to themselves,
Socialization: through socialization, adopt traits and behaviors of peers.
Behaviors subject to
peer influence:
Peers particularly
salient at developmental/
ecological transitions.
From: The Science of Adolescent Risk-Taking, Workshop Report,
Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, 2009
Implications for Parenting Align home and school contexts to developmental
tasks and contexts of adolescence: Providing developmentally appropriate supervision Generating opportunities for competence and agency
Keep youth engaged Capitalize on power of groups and peers and youth strivings for autonomy (from
adults)
(Re)consider peer groupings – deliberately structure groups (minimizing saturation of aggressive youth, capitalizing in influential peers, opportunities for identity development) Building connections among parents of youth peers
Bridging home and school Build parent and family knowledge of school contexts and importance of
high-quality adult-youth relationships in schools Build portal between home and school
School strategies to promote youth development School knowledge of home context Use school as a mechanism for building peer-family connections